A FATHER-OF-TWO lost a leg in a horror crash which happened when a Dutch driver forgot to drive on the left, a court heard.

Stuart Campbell suffered “catastrophic” injuries when “automatic pilot took over” as Frederik Van Harten drove along a country road in east Dorset.

A jury at Bournemouth Crown Court heard Mr Van Harten admits causing the accident, which took place on August 10 2015 on the B3078 at Horton.

But he denies a charge of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, claiming his driving was careless, but not dangerous.

Th court heard Mr Van Harten’s left-hand drive Renault van was in the wrong carriageway when it collided with a VW campervan - also left-hand drive - being driven by Mr Campbell.

The VW was on its way back from dropping off a wedding party when the crash happened.

After the crash, the 55-year-old Dutchman said: “I went on the wrong side of the road in England. The automatic pilot took over. I did not have time to touch the brakes.”

The court heard Mr Campbell, a 46-year-old married man with two young children, had his right leg amputated, his left leg was badly broken and he suffered broken teeth and a broken nose in the crash.

He has since been fitted with a prosthetic leg and has had to learn to walk again.

Mr Campbell told the jury: “As I came round the bend I met the other vehicle - it was in my lane. There was nothing I could do, it was instant. The second I saw the vehicle was the second I hit it.

“I realised I was in a lot of trouble, there was a lot of blood and a lot of pain. I was trapped in the vehicle and I realised my legs were a mess.”

Jurors heard excerpts from a letter, written by Mr Van Harten to Mr Campbell.

In it he said: “What a tragic thing happened, it is still hard to believe. Your life changed in a second - we try to realise what you are going through. Words cannot express what you are feeling but we feel so sorry for you. Your suffering is on our minds all day.

Witness Ernest Hurley told the court: “The van was on the wrong side of the road. It was thrown up in the air.”

The trial continues.